Today, it is my pleasure to host Anne M. McLoughlin, one of my favourite Irish authors. Anne’s new release is Andy, a poignant tale of a lonely bachelor and his search for human connection, set in rural Ireland.

Set in rural County Wexford, middle-aged bachelor Andy, a vulnerable character and something of a social misfit, finds himself becoming more and more isolated as he observes a changing Ireland around him in the years leading up to the millennium.

Despite his oddities, he has always fitted comfortably into his local village community. Very much at one with nature, his life revolves around the rhythms of the farming seasons, the pleasures of the coastal landscape and life with his dog Madra. 

His life takes an interesting turn when he finds a bottle with a message from a young Welsh girl washed up on his local beach.  An unlikely friendship develops between them and his lonely life is transformed by the excitement of their pen-pal correspondence.

Living in a quiet rural village where crime is a rarity, the locals are shocked when a violent incident is visited upon them.

A story of loneliness, friendship and the importance of community. 

“Beautifully written.  Reminiscent of McGahern’s ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’.”

LINKS:

www.amazon.co.uk/ANDY-Anne-M-McLoughlin/dp/1068250011

Beautifully textured portrait of rural life and the importance of friendship

“Andy is the story of someone everyone knows, a loner, a bit odd! When sinister events disrupt Andy’s life, he is forced to confront them, resulting in unexpected consequences. With lyrical prose, the story gives a glimpse of rural Ireland, its customs and ways, and how aspects of modern life can unsettle traditional values many take for granted. A beautifully textured portrait, showing the importance of community and the nurturing gift of friendship.”

“ANDY is a richly imagined and emotionally tender story, set mostly in a village in north County Wexford, about an unlikely friendship between and elderly man and a young girl.

Author Anne M McLoughlin lives part of the year in such a village. She renders the emotional landscape of rural life and its people with a sharp observance and vivid imagination, creating a cast of fascinating characters.

This is a super-assured novel, written with confidence and precision of language, reflecting O’Loughlin’s years as a TV producer.”

Anne M. McLoughlin is a TV producer turned author, who splits her time betwwen Dublin and rural Wexford.

Anne is the author of the ‘LIVES’ family saga trilogy, published by Poolbeg Press.  This historical fiction series was inspired by research into her own family tree.

Her recently released novel, ‘ANDY’, is a departure from historical fiction and she is currently working on another series of books, set in midlands Ireland.

One of Anne’s short stories was highly commended in the Colm Tóibín International Short Story Competition in the Wexford Literary Festival.

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